Gwen Sebastian’s debut single “Hard Rain” on Open Road Record/Lofton Creek Records is being released to country radio Oct. 12. She’s currently at work on her upcoming album, and she also has a holiday release available now called Christmas In July.

Born to a ranching family in Hebron, North Dakota (pop. 800), Sebastian’s childhood summers were spent rounding up cattle on the farm and cooking with her mother in the kitchen. But when she turned her attention to music, she had a built in audience: she and her brother are but two of an incredible 117 grandchildren in her extended family.

“Before I could even walk, I would sit beneath the organ as my grandma played. I would watch her feet play the pedals,” recalls Gwen. By age 11 she became the local church organist, and by her early teens she was regularly performing on stages alongside her parents at local weddings, fairs and bars around North Dakota.

Once she arrived in Nashville, Sebastian became a regular performer at the Wildhorse Saloon, and moved on to play at fairs, festivals, casinos and clubs all over the country. She has opened for acts including Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Phil Vassar. Sebastian enjoys the creative songwriter community in Music City and the opportunity to co-write with hit songwriters. “I want my fans to really connect with me and I feel that through my songwriting is the best way they can,” she explains.